When
you break down the Internet in simple terms, everyone is trying to sell
you something. They might break into different sales pitches – food,
clothes, art, love, sex, entertainment, even ideas – but when you take a
closer look at each web page, you will discern that everything really
boils down to your wallet and mind. Everyone wants a piece of it.
And you don’t have to be a business owner to
understand this concept. I have friends who promote their blogs on
Facebook and Twitter. It’s a smart start, but this strategy needs to go a
deeper if you want to grow your customer or fan base over the Internet.
Let me break down this idea with a restaurant
example.
I’ll bet you a free Google Ad (under a rarely used
keyword) that you will not go to a restaurant without checking out the
pictures and menu. And if you’re narrowing down your choices between
several restaurants, you might not even make it to the menu pages, but you
will always make it to the pictures page. That’s because as customers, you
want to see what the vibe and aesthetics will bring to your experience.
This Sociology 101 observation tells us that
overall, most customers are moved by the experience over the content.
Aesthetics matter with everything, which is why retailers, restaurants,
bars, lounges and entertainment venues need to introduce their customers’
web experience with video. If pictures tell a thousand words, how much
more valuable is video with enhanced sound and compelling moving parts?
Nielson Research shows us that customers are twice
as likely to buy a product when video is present on a website. Consumers
also spend 45 percent more time on a website where video is present. Even
emails have a greater return when video is implemented into the strategy.
A 2010 survey by Implix showed that emails with video were twice as likely
to get a “click-through” from readers.
For those left-brain entrepreneurs who need data to
make any decision, that research is proof that video will help grow your
business. You can even make a stronger argument that video is just as
valuable as a well designed website. And if you own any type of business
that is centered around entertainment – amusement parks, comedy clubs,
bars, nightclubs, restaurants, museums – the ROI from videos is even more
amplified.
So the next time you’re kicking around marketing
ideas inside the four white walls, think of video. Let your mind wander
back to the 1950s when TV first entered our world. It’s no different
today, even though the original black-and-white experience is now enhanced
with high-definition. Video is still the best way to showcase your story
line (also known as your product pitch), only now it is more affordable to
produce.
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